Don’t get too excited about Camera Futura – it’s not a product yet, it’s merely a design concept, from the Artefact design group. The driving design questions for the project, were these:

Why do cameras today still look like they did 60 years ago?

Why does my camera not help me on the way to becoming a better photographer?

Why is it not possible to share an image taken right there and then from the camera over a social network?

Why are our cameras not expandable through apps in the same way as our mobile phones are?

What’s next for camera design?

What design group Artefact has come up with is a device that breaks down, and then assembles, into these components: body with lens mount, smartphone-like display unit, lens with built-in full frame CMOS sensor, antennas and frame.

The use of a smartphone-like touchscreen display device not only offers online connectivity to upload photos, it also brings in the opportunity of adding apps to the camera. They could be photography tutorials, effects apps, facial recognition, 3D imaging and more. Artefact mention in their information that it might not be a purpose-built display device for the frame, but it could also be that a frame could be purpose-built to accommodate an existing smartphone.

Artefact is a company with some impressive work behind them. Companies they’ve worked with, and devices they’ve worked on, include HTC, RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook, Sonos, Panasonic, Apple, Xbox 360, Alienware and Microsoft Surface.

Artefact Camera video demonstrations

Here’s a short video produced by Artefact, showing off the main features of its ideas for the Camera Futura:

Also, Artefact had a stand at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and showed the concept of the Camera Futura to CES attendees, and produced a video of the event. I repeat, this is not – yet – a real product, but it is an exciting set of ideas that I hope I return to write more about.

Scott Fitzgerald started TechStyles in 2010, after 5 years of running the GadgetGuy website, so gadgets and tech have been a big part of his life for quite a while now. Prior to that he edited the Macquarie Dictionary, Travelmate.com.au and NeeditNow.com.